The College of St. Scholastica offers a PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate Track.
Program Tracks Overview
| Program | Est. Tuition | Est. Duration | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-Grad Certificate | Up to $39.6K | 4 semesters | Up to 40 |
St. Scholastica’s defining advantage is location combined with clinical volume: it is the only campus-based PMHNP program in northern Minnesota, and its 960 required clinical hours exceed every other certificate option available to Minnesota nurses. Note the eligibility gate — applicants must already hold an APRN certification, not just a master’s degree.
Quick Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Program Types | Post-Graduate APRN Certificate (PMHNP) |
| Format | Hybrid — online theory, on-campus lab days, synchronous online meetings |
| Clinical Hours | 960 direct supervised patient care hours |
| Clinical Placement | Precepted clinical experiences; placement model not clearly stated |
| Population | Lifespan (adult and child/adolescent/family practica) |
| Distinctive Coursework | Dedicated Psychopharmacology course; 6-credit psychiatric nursing theory course |
| Eligibility Gate | Must hold certification as an NP, CRNA, CNS, or nurse midwife |
| Credit Flexibility | Credits vary by gap analysis of prior APRN coursework |
| Tuition | $991/credit; up to ~$39,640 |
| Accreditation | CCNE (post-graduate APRN certificate program); HLC institutional |
PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate
The PMHNP Post-Graduate Certificate at St. Scholastica is built differently from most post-graduate PMHNP certificates in one important way: it is restricted to nurses who already hold at least one APRN certification — nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse midwife.
Most competing certificates admit any master’s-prepared nurse. If you hold an MSN but no APRN credential, this program is not open to you as the catalog describes it.
Certificate Curriculum
The published 40-credit plan is a full build that includes the “3 P” foundation courses (pathophysiology, pharmacology, health assessment). Because every admitted student is already a certified APRN, the gap analysis will typically waive some or all of these, which is why the college states credits “will vary.” Practically, the sticker credit count is a ceiling, not the norm.
Foundation Courses (subject to gap analysis waiver)
- NSG 8152/8154 — Pathophysiology for Advanced Clinical Practice I & II (4 credits)
- NSG 8217/8219 — Lifespan Health Assessment I & II (4 credits)
- NSG 8670/8672 — Advanced Pharmacology I & II (4 credits)
PMHNP Specialty Sequence
- NSG 8662 — Theoretical Foundations of Advanced Practice Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing (6 credits)
- NSG 8678 — Psychopharmacology (3 credits)
- NSG 8520 — Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Disorders in Adults (3 credits)
- NSG 8550 — Assessment and Management of Psychiatric Disorders in Children/Adolescents/Families (3 credits)
- NSG 8521/8551/8595 — Psychiatric Practicum I, II, and III (13 credits)
Two design choices stand out. First, psychopharmacology is a standalone 3-credit course on top of the general advanced pharmacology sequence, giving medication management more dedicated depth than programs that fold it into a single pharm course. Second, the practicum sequence is split by population — an adult practicum, then a child/adolescent/family practicum, then a practice-transition capstone — so lifespan competency is enforced through separate supervised rotations rather than mixed into one generic clinical block.
More curriculum details are available here.
Certificate Clinical Requirements
- 960 total direct supervised patient care hours across 4 semesters
- Three practicum courses: Psychiatric Practicum I (Adults, 4 credits), Practicum II (Child/Adolescent/Families, 4 credits), Practicum III (Practice Transition, 5 credits)
- Per-course clinical hour breakdowns are not published; the 960 total cannot be verified against course-level hours
- Precepted clinical experiences; whether the school arranges preceptors or students secure their own is not clearly stated
- On-campus lab days for skills and simulation supplement clinical training
960 hours is unusually high for a post-graduate certificate. Most PMHNP certificates nationally require 500–650 hours, and St. Catherine’s Minnesota programs run 810. For already-certified APRNs, this is a real trade-off: more supervised psychiatric hours than any in-state alternative before you sit for boards, at the cost of a longer clinical commitment on top of a job you likely already hold. Verify the placement model before applying — who finds preceptors is the single biggest workload variable in a 960-hour program.
Certificate Admissions
The defining admissions requirement is the APRN gate; published detail beyond it is thin.
- Current certification as a nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, clinical nurse specialist, or nurse midwife required
- Gap analysis of previous APRN coursework determines your individual credit plan
- Course plans are built in consultation with an advisor
- Minimum 3.0 GPA required to graduate; admission GPA thresholds, deadlines, and application materials are not clearly stated
Tuition
Total estimated tuition for the PMHNP certificate is up to approximately $39,640, derived from 40 credits at $991 per credit. Your actual cost is likely lower: the gap analysis reduces required credits based on prior APRN coursework. As an illustration, an NP whose analysis waives the 12 credits of foundation coursework would pay roughly $27,748 (28 credits × $991) — an estimate, not a published figure.
- $991 per credit is the published Post-Graduate APRN Certificate rate
- Mandatory fees beyond the per-credit rate (program, clinical, or lab/simulation fees) are not stated on the tuition page
- Credits “will vary” by gap analysis — treat $39,640 as a ceiling estimate
At full sticker price this is the most expensive PMHNP certificate available to Minnesota nurses, but for APRNs with strong prior coursework the gap analysis can move it into the mid-range of the state market.
Official tuition information is here.
Why Choose This PMHNP Program?
This program fits certified APRNs in northern Minnesota who want the heaviest clinical preparation available before entering psychiatric practice.
Geography is the first argument. Minnesota’s other campus-based PMHNP options — the University of Minnesota and St. Catherine University — both sit in the Twin Cities and both require on-campus attendance. For nurses in Duluth, the Iron Range, or northwestern Wisconsin, St. Scholastica is the only PMHNP pathway where “hybrid” doesn’t mean a 150-mile drive each way. The 960 clinical hours are the second argument: no other certificate open to Minnesota nurses requires more supervised psychiatric practice, which matters if you want to enter independent practice with confidence rather than minimum-viable hours.
The trade-offs are concrete. The APRN certification requirement excludes master’s-prepared nurses without an NP, CRNA, CNS, or CNM credential — those nurses should look at the University of Minnesota’s certificate or online options like WGU ($21,465) and Purdue Global ($20,160), which cost roughly half of St. Scholastica’s ceiling price. And the hybrid format cuts both ways: on-campus lab days add simulation training most online certificates lack, but they rule the program out for nurses who can’t get to Duluth regularly.
Accreditation
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice degree program, and post-graduate APRN certificate program at The College of St. Scholastica are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), verified from the school’s own nursing catalog pages — the certificate program is explicitly named in the accreditation scope. The nursing programs earned a full ten-year CCNE reaccreditation in 2022 with no compliance concerns, with the next on-site evaluation due in 2032. The post-graduate APRN certificate program is also approved by the Minnesota Board of Nursing. Institutionally, St. Scholastica has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) continuously since 1931, most recently reaffirmed in 2023. The university does not explicitly state ANCC or AANPCB exam eligibility on the program page; confirm certification exam eligibility with an advisor.
Review More Minnesota PMHNP Programs
- St. Catherine University - St. Paul
- University of Minnesota. - Minneapolis
- Winona State University - Rochester